MXPA97003604A - Returnable containable container for toc - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hermetic container of synthetic plastic generally rigid, shaped, for bacon, which includes a set of pieces of bacon, the container being reclosable and including: a bubble tray element generally rigid, shaped, which has a lower panel, side panels defining a generally vertical side wall and an open mouth generally opposite said lower panel, said open mouth being defined between said generally vertical side wall and a peripheral flange of tray element, said tray element having bubble transparency properties to allow inspection through a set of bacon pieces within the tray element; a plate cover element generally rigid, shaped, fixed to said tray element, said plate cover element having a cover plate panel, a peripheral flange of cover element, and a portion peripheral insert connecting said cover plate panel and said peripheral flange of cover element, said peripheral insertion portion being substantially parallel to the generally vertical side wall of the tray member, and said cover plate being spaced from said surface. peripheral flange of cover element, said lower panel of the bubble tray element, said side wall of the bubble tray element, and said cover plate panel of said plate cover element are dimensioned and configured to enclose in the interior said ordered set of bacon pieces, said ordered set of bacon pieces engages the inner walls of said bubble tray element and said plate cover element, and each of said pieces of bacon is supported by said internal surfaces directly or indirectly through other such bacon pieces to maintain for that reason said substantially ordered array of bacon pieces in the configuration that had been determined when the package was filled and sealed; means for sealingly sealing said peripheral flange of tray element to said peripheral flange of cover element to provide a hermetically sealed package that it contains said ordered set of bacon pieces, and said hermetically sealed container having said ordered set of bacon pieces is washed with g

Description

RECYCLABLE RIGID CONTAINER FOR BACON.

Cross reference to related request This application is a partial continuation of the application serial number 220,849, filed on March 31, 1994, which is now Patent Number 5,520,939. BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to packaged bacon products, more specifically to hermetically sealed commercial packages for multiple series of bacon slices that are contained on top of each other and displayed in such a way that a large portion of the total surface area of the bacon pieces is visible to the consumer before purchase. The invention makes it possible for the consumer to see multiple whole lengths of bacon slices or pieces and without staggering the bacon slices. The package includes a tray (or bubble) and a cover (or plate), both generally rigid and configured before being assembled together. The tray and the cover are closed together in a preferably leak-tight manner, and can be opened and closed one with respect to the other so as to provide relatively easy access to the bacon and the new easy closure after removing from the container not all the bacon. Partially or completely cooked bacon or raw bacon, whether offered in full length slices or in bacon pieces, is suitably packaged according to the invention.

Bacon has long been offered to retail consumers in the form of slices, often in hermetically sealed containers. A typical package in this respect is a package containing approximately one pound (0.453 kg) of sliced bacon in a single staggered series that is hermetically sealed. Frequently, these containers are hermetically closed to vacuum. Typically, steps are taken to see a portion of some of the sliced bacon slices. An example of such a bacon package is shown in the United States Patent, Seiferth et al., Number 3,803,332, incorporated herein by reference. Frequently, substantial portions of the bacon slices are obscured by such a package because it includes the so-called bacon plate which is not transparent and which supports the stepped bacon during transportation, handling and use at home. Consumers sometimes express their concern that a sufficient surface area of the bacon slices can not be seen before the purchase made by the consumer. Consumers have expressed concern that slices "with fat" are intentionally hidden inside the package, although this is not a practical possibility in modern commercial scale bacon processing operations. Another concern expressed sometimes by consumers is that the bacon containers require the consumer to touch the container that has been exposed to the fat of the bacon with the fingers to remove a slice of bacon from the container. Generally, to access a slice, the consumer must open and hold open a package panel or otherwise touch a part of the package that has a grease coating on it. This contact with grease can occur when opening the container, when accessing a previously opened container and / or when holding an open container during the course of extracting a slice or slices thereof. The most common bacon packs hermetically seal the bacon slices inside flexible films. This type of packaging can give an appearance that is far from that of a quality packaging. For example, the flexible film can loosely surround the bacon slices (especially in the case of a gas-washed container) or assume a loose or unstructured appearance once opened (in the case of flexible packaging, including those that have been vacuum packed). In addition, many bacon packages are not truly reclosable because they have no positive means by which the container can be resealed to firmly hold the remaining bacon strips inside the container once it has been opened and the bacon has been partially consumed.

In summary, the present invention provides a recloseable bacon container having a rigid tray or bubble to receive the bacon and a rigid cover or plate which are hermetically sealed and, once the seal is broken, the container is easily reclosed . The package offers a unique presentation of strips or pieces of bacon. The bacon can be presented in two or more non-staggered series, each of which has strips of bacon that are usually side by side. The container is washed with gas. Before opening, the two rigid components of the container are hermetically closed together so that they can be easily released. After they have been opened, the two rigid components of the container are easily resealed one on top of another by a structure preferably including the coupling coupling between a peripheral insertion surface and a peripheral surface projecting to and engaging the peripheral insertion surface. Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a generally rigid, shaped, improved, synthetic bacon plastic container. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bacon package that is substantially completely rigid or semi-rigid to the extent that the polymeric material of the package is formed and the package is recillable. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved bacon package that offers a unique presentation of strips or pieces of bacon inside the rigid package in which each panel is directly visible by the consumer before the purchase can be transparent. Another object of the present invention is to provide a rigid bacon container that is reclosable by snap fit while providing easy accessibility to the product. Another object of this invention is to provide bacon in a gas-washed container, which has a rigid tray and a rigid cover, a container that is resealable and offers good product visibility and quality packaging appearance. Another object of the present invention is to provide bacon in improved packaging where the edges or sides of the slices or slices are exposed and can be viewed from multiple sides of the package. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved bacon package, especially when not cooked, which minimizes contact between grease-coated package panels and the consumer's fingers when removing slices or pieces from the package. Another object of this invention is to provide a bacon package that is suitable for gas washing to provide better separation of the bacon pieces and removal of the bacon pieces from the package. Another object of this invention is to provide improved bacon packages that can be stacked or nested one on top of the other so as to provide a compact and secure stack. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood by consideration of the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Throughout this description, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hermetically sealed container according to the present invention, representing multiple series of hermetically sealed bacon slices. inside. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 2- 2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a detail view of a portion of the flange area of the package representing an alternative feature of easy access opening.

Figure 5 is an exploded view, in partial section, showing an alternative feature of jump closure. Figure 6 is an exploded view, in partial section, showing another characteristic of closing by jump. Figure 7 is a top plan view, partially cut, of an embodiment according to the present invention which represents an alternative feature of easy opening. Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a bottom view of the package illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a detailed plan view illustrating another embodiment of a feature. Easy opening. Figure 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment having multiple pieces of bacon in a gas flushed environment. Figure 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment in which pieces of bacon to be seen are presented inside a bubble. And Figure 13 is an exploded side elevational view of the embodiment of Figure 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS A synthetic plastic container generally rigid, shaped, for storing stacks of sliced bacon pieces according to the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, includes a tray element, generally designated 21, and a cover or lid element, designated in general 22. Both the tray element 21 and the cover element 22 are non-flexible film because the film is semi-rigid or rigid and has been configured or is configured in line, for example, by suitable training or heat-molding techniques, in the forms illustrated in the drawings which retain their respective forms during normal handling. Thus configured, they provide a somewhat protective and quality-looking package for bacon piles. In these illustrated packages, two or more series 23, 24 of pieces of bacon 25 are sealed inside, pieces that may be uncooked, partially cooked or fully cooked. In this embodiment, the tray element 21 and the cover element 22 are transparent insofar as the bacon located in the interior can be easily seen and inspected by a consumer before purchase. One or more label (s) 26 can be included to meet marketing and labeling needs and requirements. When desired, one or more of such labels may be transparent except, of course, message indications that have to be opaque or translucent or contrasting so that the consumer can see them. It will be appreciated that, in this embodiment, the pieces of bacon strips 25 are in general vertical alignment with each other in each of the series 23, 24. Each strip within each series is positioned with respect to the other strips of the series of such that they are conveniently spaced from one another along their respective longitudinal edges. Corresponding strips of respective alternating vertical series are generally in vertical alignment with each other. In this embodiment, they are represented with flexible sheet 30 therebetween. The sheet 30 provides an especially careful appearance to the general package and facilitates the extraction of a convenient amount of bacon pieces, which are in a given series, from the package as desired. The sheet 30 is preferably a "fat-resistant" material that will reduce fat or fat transfer from the bacon to the sheet. Thus, the container maintains a clean appearance during storage. It will also be suitable for microwave use in such a way that a whole series of bacon, for example, can be transferred from the package to the microwave. A preferred sheet is parchment paper, another cellulosic material, or even non-cellulosic material. In many cases, all of the edges facing out from each bacon slice 25 and both end edges of the slices of the series 23 and 24 are visible to the consumer before purchase, by inspection through both panels longitudinal side 27, 28 and both tray end panels 29, 31 of the container. In addition, all of the lower or outwardly disposed surfaces of the lower pieces of the stacks are visible through the lower tray panel 32 when there is no sheet. Even when a piece of sheet 30 is below the bacon pieces of the lower series, a certain indication of the condition of the pieces of this lower series can be obtained, depending on the transparency or translucency of said sheet. All or substantially all of the upper surfaces facing outward or above the bacon pieces of the upper series are visible through the cover panel 33 of the cover portion 22. With this arrangement, the consumer can see more surface of piece of bacon before buying and opening the bacon package according to the present invention compared to the more traditional staggered bacon packages. As illustrated, a cover panel 33 of the cover element 22 is inserted or in the form of a plate. More particularly, a peripheral flange 34 of the cover element is spaced from the cover panel 33 by a peripheral insertion portion 35. In this manner, the cover panel 33 projects to the tray member 21 when the container is in the closed state. The peripheral insertion portion 35 engages each of the longitudinal side panels 27, 28 and the tray end panels 29, 31 of the tray member. Preferably this engagement occurs along a receiving portion of these tray panels. In this regard there is illustrated a projecting peripheral portion 36 positioned along the upper periphery of the side wall of the tray member defined by side panels 27, 28 and end panels 29, 31. The peripheral end portion 40 of these panels Lateral and end panels that are above or outside the projecting peripheral portion 36 receive with engagement the peripheral insertion portion 35 of the cover element to provide a new closure feature. Frequently, a forced fit or friction fit between the peripheral insertion portion 35 of the cover element and the peripheral end portion 40 of the tray member will provide a suitable, positive-drive, new closure feature by which the consumer has an audible awareness and / or tactile experience of closing the closure by having a forced adjustment assembly where the position along the peripheral insertion portion of the cover element is peripherally larger than the peripheral size of a position throughout of the height of the peripheral end portion of the tray element. This aspect of the invention can be emphasized by continuing with embodiments such as those depicted in Figure 5 and / or Figure 6. Figure 5 illustrates a cover member 22a having a peripheral insertion portion 35a that is tapered to the extent wherein the periphery of its lower portion 37 is larger than the periphery of its upper portion 38. The corresponding tray element 21a has a protruding peripheral portion 36a and an end peripheral portion 40a which corresponds generally in shape and angular deviation to those of the peripheral insertion portion 35a. When closed, the flange 34a of the cover element 22a closely covers and preferably engages the flange 39 of the tray element 21a when the closing operation has finished again. Figure 6 depicts a cover member 22b having a peripheral insertion portion 35b including a retainer 41. A corresponding indentation 42 is provided in the peripheral end portion 40b on top of the projecting peripheral portion 36b. A plurality of such indentation and retainer pairs can be provided along the periphery of the tray element and the cover element, or the indentations and detents can be continuous along the respective peripheries of the tray element and the element. covering. Any combination of these improvement characteristics of the new closure can be included as desired, depending on the degree of the possibility of effecting the new positive closure that is required. In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 6, at least a portion of the flange 39b of the tray element 21b is shorter than a corresponding portion of the peripheral flange 34b of the cover element 22b. This can be provided to facilitate the separation of the cover element and the tray element. An inverse assembly in which a portion of the tray element flange 39b is larger and extends beyond a corresponding portion of the flange of the cover element 34b is also contemplated. For example, the entirety of an end flange of the tray member may be shorter than the entire end flange of the cover element., or vice versa. In another assembly, this difference in the extension of the tray element flange and the flange of the cover element may take the form of a finger grip section 43 as illustrated generally in FIG. 4. As illustrated, the finger grip section 43 is on the peripheral flange 39 of the tray member 39, while a notch 44 is provided in the peripheral flange 34c of the cover element. Any combination of these various features to facilitate grip by finger manipulation can be provided as desired. One aspect of the packages according to this invention may be the inclusion of a sealing feature. This sealing feature has an aspect of peelability such that the package can be opened using force exerted with the fingers and without substantially distorting the cover element or cover element and / or its peripheral flange and / or the peripheral flange of the cover. tray element. Depending on the particular materials from which the configured tray element and cover or cover element are made, suitable sealants or adhesives can provide adequate easy removal or release of the seal. When the desired attributes of peelability and airtightness can be achieved without distortion of the packaging components during initial opening, no more sealing and opening means should be provided. In other cases, the container and / or sealant or adhesive component materials make it difficult to formulate a polymer and release sealant combination that will successfully withstand the conditions of transport and storage and that still open without unacceptably distorting or damaging the container, especially the container. lid element or the respective peripheral flanges of substantial coupling of the tray element and lid element. In these cases, sealants or peelable airtight films are complemented by a tear strip assembly, whereby the tear strip is peeled off and discarded, leaving a suitable peripheral flange on the lid and tray to achieve the characteristics of possibility of a new closure explained in this report. Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment where a peelable seal is assisted by a pull strip. In this example, the pull strip 51 peripherally surrounds the remainder of the flange 34. In this illustrated embodiment, the pull strip traverses the entire periphery of the flange starting at an initiation position 52. The illustrated pull strip includes a line split 53 to facilitate the separation of the pull strip 51 from the rest of the flange. An illustrative pull strip including these general features is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,079,059, incorporated herein by reference. A similar assembly is illustrated in Figure 7 where a plurality of edge strips 54, 55, 56, 57 are removed by gripping in respective incisions 58, 59, 61, 62. The general characteristics of this type of tear strip assembly are found in U.S. Patent No. 4,091,930, incorporated herein by reference. Figure 10 illustrates an embodiment incorporating a permanent seal having an easy opening feature whereby the cover member 22d is removed from the tray member 21d by the operation of a breakable component. The illustrated embodiment includes a traction ring 58 which, when lifted, breaks a permanent seal, such as that located under the traction ring 58. Thus opened, the traction ring 58 is used to easily detach the remainder of the traction element. cover or lid element 22d of the tray. The features that follow these lines are illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 5,007,231, incorporated herein by reference. Other removable lid devices include those depicted in U.S. Patent No. 3,552,634, incorporated herein by reference, which represents a reusable lid that may require the use of a tool to open it. Another approach is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,034,074, No. 5,160,391 and No. 5,240,133, also incorporated herein by reference.

A plurality of wall ribs 59 is preferably included in each longitudinal side panel 27, 28 and the end panel 29, 31 of the tray member. For clarity, none is illustrated on the side panel visible in Figure 8. These ribs improve the rigidity of the tray to prevent deterioration of the product during handling and to improve the maintenance of the plurality of bacon pieces in their orientation viewed advantageously shown in the drawings. In addition, a rib 60 is preferably included within the lower panel 32 of the tray. The rib 60 defines a pushing pedestal 70 that rises and protrudes into the container compartment. This facilitates the provision of adequate support for the bacon weight inside the package to thereby improve the overall rigidity and quality characteristics of the tray element. The nerves may also contribute to facilitating the flow of the inert gas atmosphere into the container which is washed with gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and the like. In addition to supporting the weight of the bacon, the rib 60 helps to prevent buckling or sagging of the tray member due to the pressure exerted on the pile of bacon pieces by the inner surface of the cover element when the height of the stack is such that the stack engages the push pedestal 70 on the inner bottom surface of the tray element, as well as the internal upper surface of the cover element, even insofar as the compression of the bacon pieces can occur depending on the height particular of the stack. In fact, in a preferred device, the distance between the inner surface of the cover element and the internal upper surface of the pushing pedestal 70 is equal to or less than the stack, measured before the introduction of the stack into the container. When the battery is inserted and the container is closed, there is thus hooking between the top of the stack and the cover element and between the bottom of the stack and the pushing pedestal. The recess formed by this pedestal assembly can flex in response to the product of the container, and the lid has the ability to also bulge somewhat upwards. This helps maintain the correct placement of each piece of bacon, even during transport and handling before the initial opening of the package. The containers according to the invention are washed with gas. Gas-washed containers improve the separation of slices and are more easily taken into account variations in the size of the slices compared to the vacuum package that can experience distortion of the package, buckling and resulting leakage caused by variations in the size of the pieces of bacon inside any given container.

The combination that includes a gas-washed container, a wide-mouth container with a peripheral flange, and a flanged lid that can be completely removed from the tray containing the stacked bacon, allows the consumer to remove a piece or a desired number of items. pieces of the container open without the consumer having to touch with the fingers the internal surfaces of the tray, which may be stained with grease by virtue of prolonged contact with the bacon, especially when it is uncooked. One feature of the package is easy access to the bacon without having to touch the surfaces of the containers that have grease residues. It is even possible to easily and cleanly access the bacon with a suitable tool, such as a fork, a spoon or a pair of tongs, and to completely remove the piece or pieces of bacon from the container without contact between the fingers of the consumer and the bacon. Furthermore, it will be noted that the peripheral flange 34, the insertion portion 35 and the panel 33 of the cover element are preferably sized to accommodate the reception of the lower panel of the tray element of another container, which includes a rib placed therein. With this feature, the containers can be fitted or stacked on top of each other so that the containers can be placed one on top of the other without the top container sliding out of the container below. In Figures 7, 8 and 9 an important aspect of the invention is illustrated where multiple faces of the bacon pieces packed according to the present invention are visible through the package. The lean zones 71 and areas with grease 72 are clearly visible through the cover panel 33 (when this is transparent) even when the package is complete and hermetically sealed as depicted in these drawings. Only the labeling (see, for example, Figure 1) would prevent easy inspection of all the upper pieces as shown in Figure 7. Figure 8 illustrates that all of the longitudinal edges 65 of the bacon pieces 25 they are easily inspected through the transparent longitudinal side panel 28 of the tray or bubble. The same applies to the longitudinal side panel 27 of the tray. Each and every one of the end edges of all the bacon pieces are visible through the tray end panel 31. The same can be said of the tray end panel 29. Therefore, it will be appreciated that large portions of the surface area of several pieces of bacon are visible to the consumer before opening the container. The embodiments shown in Figures 1-3 and 7-9 illustrate a plurality of series, with each series including four full-length slices. This is for illustrative purposes. As an additional example, if these four slices are cooked substantially completely, in a package of approximately the same size only three partially cooked slices would fit, and even a larger zone would be required if the bacon were completely uncooked. In some cases, the series of bacon slices will cover the entire defined area between the side panels 27, 28 and the end panels 29, 31. With additional reference to the sheet 30 shown in some embodiments, each sheet can cover an area generally corresponding to that defined by a series of bacon. In many cases, the area of the sheet 30 is larger than the "footprint" of the bacon series, as generally depicted in the drawings. In some cases, the sheet will completely fill the area of the container, even at the corners 63, 64, 73, 74 of the sheet, as can be seen in Figure 9. In another embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 11, They pack half pieces of bacon to provide a series of generally square bacon. It will be noted that, in this embodiment, the container 80 is also generally square in horizontal cross section. Although half pieces are represented in general, pieces of different lengths, widths or other configurations can be packaged as well. Some may have the so-called sandwich length, which may be longer than half. Other pieces of bacon may have a cut or shred configuration. In any case, the bacon pieces will substantially fill the package and will typically hook all the internal surfaces so that the movement of the pieces will be controlled to minimize the risk of deterioration or poor orientation of the pieces. With further reference to Figure 11, the package 80 includes a tray member, designated generally 81, and a cover or plate element, designated in general 82, both having a construction and attributes as the similar components of the package of the Figure 1. However, the series of bacon pieces are not associated here with lamina. A plurality of wall ribs 89 are shown in each side panel 87, 88 of the tray member. The cover or plate element has a peripheral flange 84, an insertion portion 83 and a panel 84 that are dimensioned to receive the bottom panel of the tray element from another such package., doing so that the containers can be fitted. The embodiment shown in Figure 12 and Figure 13 is especially suitable for displaying the bacon pieces in an orientation where the tray or bubble element 91 is facing the consumer before purchase. Thus, this embodiment is especially suitable for a sales counter where each gas washed container 90 is hung from a hook or hooks, for example through hole (s) 96, which may be the same or different size, as illustrated . A plurality of bacon pieces 95 are inside the package as previously explained, the outer parts engaging the inner surfaces of the package so as to provide stable positioning and support of the pieces regardless of the actual shape or size of the pieces. . In this regard, the interior pieces of bacon do not have to directly hook any wall of the container; however, even these parts are supported in their proper position by pieces with which they directly engage. Nerves 99 are provided in the side panels 97, 98 of the bubble element 91. In this particular embodiment, the cover or plate element 92 may be opaque insofar as the device for the consumer to see the filled containers darken in The outer surface of the plate member 92 generally makes the transparency less useful. Such is the case if the containers are hung on hooks or are supported on the edge within an automatic vendor, such as an automatic mirror vendor, as depicted in U.S. Patent No. 4,907,707, No. 5,012,936 and No. 5,123,546, incorporated herein by reference. The plate member 92 includes a header area 101 in which the hole (s) 96 may be located and in which tagging space is conveniently provided. A header area 102 may also be included in the bubble element 91. The respective header zones may have virtually the same area size, or one may be smaller or differently to facilitate separation of the bubble 91 and the plate. 92 to access the bacon pieces located inside. One or both headers can be extended for the entire width of the container. Alternatively, only a portion of the width of the container can be extended, as generally illustrated in transparency at 105 in Figure 12. The new closure is improved by suitable interference components, such as rib (s) 103 on the plate 92 and slot (s) 104 in the bubble. This provides for an audible, positive snap closure, even after the hermetic closure of the container is broken when initially used. In this embodiment, the seal can be provided by a simple peelable seal on the respective flanges of the bubble and the plate facing each other when the package is assembled. It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a new, useful and unique commercial package for sliced bacon, package having a number of advantages and features including those set forth herein and others which are apparent. Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described by way of example, and it is noted that modifications can be made in the manner described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (30)

1. CLAIMS 1. A watertight, synthetic, generally rigid plastic container for bacon, which includes a set of bacon pieces, the container being reclosable and including: a bubble tray element generally rigid, shaped, having a panel lower, side panels defining a generally vertical side wall and an open mouth generally opposite said lower panel, said open mouth being defined between said generally vertical side wall and a peripheral flange of tray element, said bubble tray element having properties of transparency to allow inspection through a set of bacon pieces inside the tray element; a plate cover element generally rigid, shaped, fixed to said tray element, said plate cover element having a cover plate panel, a peripheral flange of cover element, and a peripheral insertion portion joining said cover element. cover plate panel and said peripheral flange of cover element, said peripheral insertion portion being substantially parallel to the generally vertical side wall of the tray member, and said cover plate panel being spaced from said peripheral flange of cover element;
2. said lower panel of the bubble tray element, said side wall of the bubble tray element, and said cover plate panel of said plate cover element are dimensioned and configured to enclose said ordered set of bacon pieces in the interior; said neat piece of bacon pieces engages the inner walls of said bubble tray element and said plate cover element, and each of said bacon pieces is supported by said internal surfaces directly or indirectly through other said parts. bacon pieces to thereby maintain substantially said ordered array of bacon pieces in the configuration that had been determined when the container was filled and hermetically sealed; means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of tray element to said peripheral flange of cover element to provide a hermetically sealed container containing said ordered array of bacon pieces; and said hermetically sealed container having said ordered array of bacon pieces is washed with gas. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said ordered set of bacon pieces includes at least two separate strings of bacon strips generally stacked one on top of the other.
3. 3. The packaged bacon according to claim 2, each said series has its pieces of bacon arranged in longitudinal juxtaposition relation to each other, and a flexible sheet is placed between adjacent series of said series, said sheet having a surface area at least equal to the one of said series of pieces of bacon.
4. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said generally vertical side wall of the bubble tray element includes a peripheral protruding portion and an end peripheral portion further defining said bubble tray element mouth, said peripheral portion being end dimensioned and configured so as to receive inside said peripheral portion of insertion of the plate cover element.
5. 5. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, further including ribs within said generally vertical side wall of the bubble tray element.
6. 6. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said lower panel of the bubble tray element has a flat pedestal portion that is indented with respect to the rest of said lower panel, and said set of bacon pieces has a total height that is equal to or greater than the vertical distance between said cover panel and said indented portion of flat pedestal when said container is closed and before any outward movement of said indented portion of flat pedestal or said lower panel, produced by said set of bacon pieces.
7. The packaged bacon according to claim 5, wherein said lower panel of the bubble tray element has a flat pedestal portion that is indented with respect to the remainder of said lower panel, and said set of bacon pieces has a total height that is equal to or greater than the vertical distance between said cover plate panel and said indented portion of flat pedestal when said container is closed and before any outward movement of said indented portion of flat pedestal or said lower panel, produced by said assembly of pieces of bacon.
8. 8. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said plate cover element is not substantially transparent and includes a header area.
9. 9. The packaged bacon according to claim 8, wherein said header area includes an element for hanging said package in an exposure position.
10. The packaged bacon according to claim 8, wherein said header zone has a width less than that of said plate cover element.
11. The packaged bacon according to claim 8, wherein said bubble tray element also includes a header area.
12. 12. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said bacon pieces are at least partially cooked.
13. 13. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said bacon pieces are not cooked.
14. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one of said peripheral bubble tray element flange or the peripheral flange of the plate covering element extends beyond a corresponding portion of the other said peripheral tabs.
15. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of tray element to said peripheral flange of cover element includes a pull strip by which a portion of one of said peripheral flanges it emerges from the other peripheral flange and is removed to open said container.
16. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of tray element to said peripheral flange of cover element includes releasable adhesive on said flanges.
17. 17. The packaged bacon according to claim 1, wherein said means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of tray element to said peripheral flange of cover element includes a permanent seal and a gripping element for breaking said permanent sealing to open said container. The packaged bacon according to claim 4, wherein said peripheral portion of insertion of the cover member includes means for interfering with at least a portion of said generally vertical side wall of the tray member in a position generally along said peripheral portion. End of the tray element. 19. A hermetically sealed container containing a series of pieces of bacon inside, the container being hermetically closed and being resealable, including the container: a bubble tray element generally rigid, shaped, having a lower panel, side panels that define a generally vertical side wall and an open mouth generally opposite said lower panel, said open mouth being defined between said generally vertical side wall and a peripheral flange of tray element, said tray element having transparency attributes to allow inspection of the bacon located inside the tray element; a plate cover element generally rigid, shaped, fixed to said tray element, said cover element having a cover panel, a peripheral flange of cover element, and a peripheral insertion portion joining said cover panel and said peripheral element of cover element, said peripheral portion of insertion being substantially parallel to the generally vertical side wall of the tray element, and said cover panel of said peripheral flange of cover element being; at least two separate series of bacon pieces, said separate series of bacon pieces being stacked one on top of the other and hermetically sealed within said container in such a manner that substantial portions of said bacon pieces are visible through respective container panels; a flexible sheet placed between adjacent series of said series, said sheet having a surface area at least equal to that of said series of bacon pieces; and means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of tray element to said peripheral flange of cover element. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein each of said lower bubble tray element panel and the vertical side walls and the cover plate covering panel are substantially transparent. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said generally vertical side wall of the bubble tray element includes a peripheral protruding portion and an end peripheral portion further defining said tray element mouth, said peripheral end portion being dimensioned and configured to engage said peripheral portion of insertion of the plate cover member with engagement. 22. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said bacon pieces are at least partially cooked. 23. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said bacon pieces are not cooked. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said lower panel of the bubble tray element has a flat pedestal portion that is indented with respect to the rest of said lower panel, and said series and sheet have a total height that is equal ao greater than the vertical distance between said cover panel and said indented portion of flat pedestal when said container is closed and before any outward movement of said indented portion of flat pedestal or said lower panel produced by said series and sheet. 25. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said hermetically sealed container is washed with gas. 26. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein at least a portion of one of said peripheral flange of peripheral tray element or flange of cover element extends beyond a corresponding portion of the other of said peripheral flanges. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of bubble tray element to said peripheral flange of plate cover element includes a pull strip by which a portion of a of said peripheral flanges is detached from the other peripheral flange and removed to open said container. 28. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of bubble tray element to said peripheral flange of plate cover element includes releasable adhesive on said flanges. 29. The packaged bacon according to claim 19, wherein said means for releasably sealing said peripheral flange of bubble tray element to said peripheral flange of plate cover element includes a permanent seal and a gripper for breaking said permanent seal to open said container. The packaged bacon according to claim 21, wherein said peripheral portion of insertion of the plate cover element includes means for interfering with at least a portion of said generally vertical side wall of the bubble tray element in a position generally in said portion. peripheral end of the tray element.